Timepiece striking mechanisms are large complications, which are complex as regards not only the number and complexity of the kinematics of their components, but also their possible operating modes. Choosing between the various strike modes is in itself an additional complication, which employs expensive components, such as column wheels or the like, and which takes up significant space inside the watch or timepiece case, which often has a set of notches for this selection function. The interface between the selection mechanism and the exterior of the case must also enjoy a particular seal tightness. Managing safety features between the various modes is always complex.
For watches that have additional complications, such as minute repeaters, managing safety features is very complex, and it is difficult to stop the passing strike function to allow a minute repeater to play, or conversely, to stop a minute repeater being released as a passing strike approaches, to prevent a minute repeater being released again when a repeater cycle has just started, to prevent an adjustment to the motion work during a striking function, etc., as these safety means generally employ a large number of isolators, which further complicates the mechanism and the risk of interference.
Swiss Patent No CH706080B1 in the name of PATEK PHILIPPE discloses a timepiece including a case enclosing a mechanical timepiece movement, including a repeater mechanism that can be released automatically by the mechanical timepiece movement, wherein the repeater mechanism includes a release lever provided with a click which is pivotably mounted on said release lever and arranged to move into engagement with the toothing of a detent ratchet comprised in the fusee of the repeater mechanism, so that, on automatic release, a nut driven by the motion work of the movement, preferably integral with the cannon pinion of the movement, causes the release lever to pivot towards the detent ratchet, and so that, when the release lever drops, the click beak drives the detent ratchet in rotation; the repeater mechanism includes a strike mode selection mechanism. This strike mode selection mechanism includes an operating member that is accessible from outside the timepiece and formed of a slide-piece, mounted to slide in a back-and-forth movement on the periphery of the timepiece case between at least two positions, one corresponding to a strike mode and the other to the silent mode.
CH Patent Application No 704590A1 in the name of MONTRES BREGUET SA discloses an isolating mechanism for a timepiece, including, on the one hand, a timepiece movement and, on the other hand, at least one striking mechanism including feeler arms for reading time information, on time references driven by said timepiece movement. This isolating mechanism includes at least a first isolator, arranged to cooperate with a control mechanism comprised in the timepiece, in order, in a first armed position, to adopt a stop position that prevents the time information feeler arms from searching for information on the time references, and, in a second unarmed position, to allow the feeler arms to pass and come into contact with the time references.
Swiss Patent No CH711258A2 in the name of RICHEMONT discloses a selector device for a timepiece striking mechanism, the striking mechanism being drivable by a strike train and configured to be placed in a ‘strike’ mode, in which the striking mechanism is always activated, a ‘night-time’ mode wherein the striking mechanism is disabled only for a predetermined period of the day, or a ‘silent’ mode in which the striking mechanism is always disabled; the selector device including: a cam completing one rotation in 24 hours and having the profile required for said predetermined period, a first lever, configured to switch between a first position, in which the first lever does not cooperate with the cam, so that the striking mechanism is in ‘strike’ mode, and a second position in which the feeler arm cooperates with the cam so that the striking mechanism is in ‘night-time’ mode; and a second lever, configured to switch between a first position, in which the striking mechanism is connected to the strike train, and a second position, in which the striking mechanism is disconnected from the strike train so that the striking mechanism is in ‘silent’ mode. This selector device comprises a push lever that can be actuated to tilt the first lever and the second lever to place the striking mechanism in one of the ‘strike’, ‘night-time’ or ‘silent’ modes.